1. You care.
2. You can make a difference in the life of a child.
3. Kids deserve to have their dream come true.
4. Kids deserve to just be kids for a little while.
5. You want to help a sick child.
6. You can afford to.
7. It’s the right thing to do.
8. It does a heart good.
9. It will put a smile on the face of a child.
10. You become a part of making a wish come true.

Madeline
Wish Department

I hope that all of our Wish Kids, Wish Families, Hero Kids, Hero Facilities, Sponsors and Donors have the most happy of holidays. May your wishes come true and may your hearts be light this season.

All my best to you and yours,
Alicia
Editorial Department

I began working on a wish for a young lady from the Chicago area who has Spina Bifida a few months ago. Her 15th birthday was coming up and she told me her only wish was to have a Quinceanera party for her birthday. The Quinceanera is a coming-out celebration that every Hispanic girl goes through when she turns 15. She also wanted to invite 200 people to this event. I guess she has a lot of friends!!

There are many facets to these celebrations and they are in fact almost like a wedding with a ceremony and a reception. I began searching for a place to hold the celebration and someone to help me plan it. After many calls I spoke to Zam Zam Banquet hall in Chicago and Manal agreed to donate the room as well as help with decorating, balloons and a cake. I made some calls and soon a dress that would make Cinderella jealous was on its way. Events by Fairy Godmothers agreed to do the flowers. Chicago Mobile DJs agreed to provide the music and even let Alma pick out all the songs she wanted to hear. NFD Media and Giorgio Ventola Inc. agreed to take video and shoot film of the event. Quinceanera-Boutique.com let her pick out invitations and personalized them for her.

Last but not least I needed food for this grand event. Some local restaurants came to the rescue. Tanzitaro Grille and Lalo’s both donated Fajita trays and rice. Smoque BBQ donated Mac N’ Cheese for 200. Hooters of Melrose Park donated wings. Mamacitas gave chips and salsa and guacamole trays. Taco Burrito King rounded out the whole event with a Fiesta Taco Bar.

Soon Alma’s special day was here! Jill from Make Up First arrived to do her hair and makeup. Big Dog Limousine transported her and her entourage to a park to take pictures and then to the hall. She arrived at Zam Zam Banquets and 200 of her closest friends were there waiting for her. Alma was truly a princess for the night!!

Jill
Wish Coordinator

Alpena, Mich. – A 7-year-old girl from Alpena had her wish granted to swim with dolphins thanks to the help of national charity Kids Wish Network.

Before her first birthday, Mariah was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and epilepsy. She has seizures on a daily basis, and relies on a walker or a wheelchair for mobility. Doctors are considering putting a pace maker into her chest to help control the frequency of her seizures.

When a professional fundraiser contacted Mariah’s mother Laurie and told her about Kids Wish Network and asked her if she knew of any children with life threatening illnesses, Laurie decided to refer her daughter. Together with the help of Wish Coordinator Vanessa and Wish Funding Specialist Megan, Mariah was soon on her way to Florida to see her wish come true.

Mariah’s swim took place at Theatre of the Sea in the Florida Keys. Laurie said that Mariah was so excited to be able to swim with the dolphins.

“She would rather be in the water than anywhere else,” said Laurie. “Watching Mariah with the dolphins and seeing how much she liked it was wonderful.”

Aside from setting up the family’s flight and swim, Kids Wish Network arranged for the family to stay at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, ride in the Key Largo Princess glass bottom boat, and dinner reservations were made at Outback Steakhouse, Key Largo Conch House and The Big Chill Restaurant.

“The meals were all wonderful. The last night at The Big Chill a man did balloon animals and Mariah loved watching him make them,” said Laurie. “And we got to sit out and look at the ocean while we ate our meal.”

Laurie said that everyone made Mariah feel so special. She said people kept coming up and asking her how she did.

“She loved it. She had squeals of delight. It worked well because we ended up with a dolphin that had done therapy and he just loved Mariah. He took her off on her own and pushed her feet right up on the shore,” said Laurie.

Laurie said that her experience with Kids Wish Network was wonderful and everyone made her and her family feel so comfortable.

“I think everybody had a wonderful time. I would tell anyone to refer their child to Kids Wish Network,” she said.

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Mariah’s wish come true: Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union, Dr. James T. Wolf, DDS, Fraternal Order of Police, Grace Lutheran Church, Moose Lodge #571, Outback Steakhouse, Theatre of the Sea, Key Largo Conch House, Alamo Car Rental, The Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo Princess Glass Bottom Boat and The Big Chill Restaurant.

Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. Aside from granting wishes, Kids Wish Network also has several other programs which benefit children’s care facilities. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit www.kidswishnetwork.org

Ta’Kiyah,a 12-year-old girl who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2007, made a special trip to the White House to meet President Obama thanks to the help of Kids Wish Network.

Prior to her diagnosis, Ta’Kiyah used to complain about having headaches. She was taken to the hospital by her Aunt Cherie, and doctors discovered a malignant tumor on her brain. Ta’Kiyah spent about seven months in the hospital, and underwent chemotherapy to treat the tumor. She is currently in remission.

When a friend at the City Council of Dover told Cherie about Kids Wish Network, a nationally recognized non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with life threatening illnesses, Cherie was excited about the prospect of having a wish granted for her niece. Together with the help of Wish Coordinator Madeline, Wish Funding Specialist Megan, and some very special sponsors, Ta’Kiyah was on her way to the nation’s capital. A limo ride, hotel stay at the beautiful Hotel Adams—where President Obama stayed prior to the inauguration—dinner at the Hard Rock Café, a trip to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and a trip to southern style restaurant Georgia Brown’s were also included in Ta’Kiyah’s wish.

“Kids Wish Network is a great place,” said Cherie. “They did all they could to make Ta’Kiyah’s wish come true.”

Ta’Kiyah wanted to visit President Obama, because she wanted to ask him how it feels to be living in the White House; but her nerves got the best of her.

“I kept covering my eyes. I wasn’t crying. My eyes were just watery that day,” she said.

Cherie said that Ta’Kiyah was so nervous when she saw President Obama, but he told her, “Ta’Kiyah, you can take your hands off your eyes. It’s going to be OK.”

“When he told her it was going to be OK, she calmed down a little, little bit,” Cherie said. “He took the time to embrace her.”

Ta’Kiyah said her favorite part of the whole trip was shaking President Obama’s hand and dinner at the Hard Rock Café where she was made into a rock star. She also brought a scrapbook to show the president, with photos, special certificates and her report card.

“I was very impressed. He really took his time and looked at every picture and asked her what each picture represented,” said Cherie. “Thumbs up to everybody who made this possible for Ta’Kiyah.”

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Ta’Kiyah’s wish come true: Dover Masonic Lodge, Open Arms Baptist Church, People’s United Church of Dover, The White House and President Obama, Hay Adams Hotel, Hard Rock Café, Camelot Limousine Services, Georgia Brown’s, Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the National Park service.

Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. Aside from granting wishes, Kids Wish Network also has several other programs which benefit children’s care facilities. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit us at http://www.kidswishnetwork.org